Accessibility
Sojourner Truth Library Accessibility Information
Library Accessibility Liaison
Jennifer Rutner, Senior Assistant Librarian, is the Accessibility Liaison for the Library. Please contact her with any questions, requests, or concerns about accessibility and Library services.
libraryaccessibility@newpaltz.edu
845-257-3705 (direct)
845-257-3710 (Library Research Help Desk)
Place an Accessibility Request
Library users can use the accessibility request form to place an accessibility request related to Library services, building, or collections. Someone will reply to your request within one business day. For more urgent matters, call the Library Research Desk (845-257-3710), the Library Circulation Desk (845-257-3714), or Jennifer Rutner (845-257-3705).
Library Accessibility Plan
The Sojourner Truth Library contributed to the SUNY New Paltz accessibility planning process and the EIT (Electronic Information Technology) Accesibility Plan. If you have any questions about the Library EIT Accessibility Plan, please contact Jennifer Rutner.
Accessibility Support at the Library
The Library Building
In case of an emergency, fire alarms are audible and visual. If possible, please proceed to the nearest exit to the outdoors on same floor when the alarm goes off. If it is not possible to safely exit the building, as per the campus Emergency Response Plan:
“Individuals requiring assistance in evacuation should proceed to stairwell entrance area and wait for assistance. Notify responding authority of your location.”
For more information about emergency proceedures at SUNY New Paltz, please see the campus Emergency Response Plans.
We welcome all Library patrons to check in at the Service Desk to ask about building access, emergency proceedures, using the collections, or technology. Or, call the Circulation Desk before you visit the Library. (845) 257-3714
Other building access information:
- Map and Directory of the Library
- The Library has two elevators. There is an elevator located near the Library Concourse entrance, for access to the Main Floor. There is another elevator, located behind the Service Desk on the Main Floor, for access to other floors of the Library.
- Restrooms are available on all floors. Restrooms on the Main Floor and the Ground Floor are ADA compliant.
- There are two wheelchair accessible study rooms on the Concourse Level.
Technology Support
- All library PCs have Read&Write accessibility software by TextHelp. Read&Write is a powerful tool with many useful features to assist and support access to online and digital content, such as screen reader – selecting and reading aloud parts of the screen; and PDF image-to-text converter – converting PDF image to PDF text that can be read by screen readers. Library users can ask for assistance with using Read&Write software at the Tech Desk in the Library.
- The Library bought a campus-wide license for Read&Write which provides staff and student PCs with a downloadable install, and accessibility on mobile computing devices, e.g., iPads and tablets.
- The Library supports scanning for the creation of OCR’d PDFs. The Library scanning room is equipped with both flatbed and overhead scanners. The flatbed scanner is capable of creating an OCR PDF. The flatbed scanners are not OCR equipped. Patrons may scan using the overhead scanners, save the PDF file, and edit the file using Adobe Acrobat Pro on any Library computer to create an OCR’d file. For assistance with this process, please check in at the Tech Desk.
- Here is a full list of hardware and software available at the Library.
The Library Website
- The redesigned Library website was launched in January 2018, and complies with all NYS accessibility standards.
- We are in a continuous process of evaluating our website content, and making accessibility improvements. If you notice something that is not accessible for you, please fill out an accessibility request form.
Classroom STL18
Our classroom for Library instruction, STL18, offers the following accessibilty features:
- Read&Write software is installed on all classroom computers. Students are also welcome to bring their own devices, which may be better equipped to support accessibility needs.
- The classroom is wheel chair accessible, and has two wheel chair accessible computer desks.
- Library Instruction staff encourage students to reach out with specific accessibility requests, so we can meet your needs in the classroom. Please fill out an accessibility request form.
Collections: Print, Databases, E-resources, and InterLibrary Loan
Our goal is to make our physical and electronic collections accessible to every user. While we are not primarily responsible for the accessibility of e-resources that we purchase, license, or provide access to, we are in conversation with our vendors about requirements regarding accessibility. If you require support with a particular physical item or online resource provided by the Library, please fill out an accessibility request form.
If you have received materials via InterLibrary Loan services, and require accessibility support using those materials, please fill out an accessibility request form.
Campus Accessibility Resources
Campus Accessibility Webpage (coming soon!)
SUNY New Paltz EIT Accessibility Committee (coming soon!)